Colorado “impact” startups vie for funding in i4c contest

The i4c Campaign has chosen 10 finalists in a contest that will award a total of $150,000 to three Front Range startups “with a social or environmental impact” — including an organic compost supplier and a developer of health products for women in developing countries.

The companies will compete July 13 in a pitching contest, dubbed the Summit, before a panel of Denver business leaders and a live audience at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Three winners each will receive a $50,000 equity investment from Galvanize, a Denver-based venture-capital firm behind i4c. They’ll also get mentorship and office space for a year.
The city of Denver is a partner in i4c, providing assistance with venues and promotions.

“Our goal here is simple. We want to build better businesses that build better communities,” said Galvanize founder Jim Deters, in a release on Thursday.

Denver-based Galvanize has two funds that make early-stage investments. One works with video/mobile/social technology startups; the other with companies that solve social or environmental problems.

The company says it’s “dedicated to growing start-ups through capital, community and curriculum.” It is planning to open an office space (an “ecosystem” in company-speak) for its portfolio companies this fall.

Deters cofounded Ascendant Technology, a $90 million Austin, Texas, consulting firm that was sold to Avnet in April. Prior to that, he founded Portal Interactive Inc. He and his wife Alicia own the popular ChoLon bistro that opened about 2 ½ years ago in LoDo.

Emilie Rusch covers retail and commercial real estate for The Post. A Wisconsin native and Mizzou graduate, she moved to Colorado in 2012. Before that, she worked at a small daily newspaper in South Dakota. It's the one with Mount Rushmore.